Pages

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Promises to Keep

Today, I feel strong. I feel like I can handle this industry, this profession, and everything that comes with it. I know there are many bumps, and bruises that come with the skills I am building, but they'll be worth it.

Today, I believe that.

Other days, I feel like giving up. I feel like no matter what I create, it will never be good enough. That no matter how far I go, I will always have a mile left to reach the next goal.

The only thing that makes me feel better when I'm having an "Other" day, is knowing that I'm not alone. That all of us feel this way sometimes. Feelings of inadequacy are a plague that attack everyone, everywhere, not just me. As a writer, as a mother, as a friend, we're all certain we are not good enough from time to time.

But remember, we are not alone.

There is always someone else who felt the same, or worse...and kept going. Your pain is not unique to you. There is always someone who had it worse and didn't give up. Persistence is one of the greatest traits of humanity. Do not let go of that. It is in us all to keep trying no matter what.

One of the things that keeps me going is a poem by my favorite poet, Robert Frost. It's called: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

The best part is the last stanza:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

We all have promises to keep. To our characters, our loved ones, our readers...to anyone who believes in us. I believe in us today. Do you?

15 comments:

I've been having quite a few of those "other" days lately. Sometimes the idea of giving up is easier than believing in yourself. Thank you for reminding me of the promises I made to myself. So needed to hear that.

So true, so true! Writing is no different from striving for anything else. Mothering is a great examples of sometimes we amaze even ourselves and sometimes we blow it. The thing you seem to understand it is about the overall journey. Keep at it, keep doing your best, and your babies, literal and figurative will turn out just fine.

It's funny how we can go up and down so much in life and writing...or not funny, really. I am grateful, like you, that there are people who understand. I don't know what I would do on those "other" days without those helping hands!

There are lots of days when I feel like giving up. But they never last long, because I have AWESOME friends who keep me going, and who write gorgeous blog posts that remind me why I do this. I believe in us today. And I. Will. Not. Give. Up.

A post that is seriously, desperately needed by so many. And that poem is one of my favs too. There's something both calming and invigorating about it. So glad you're trucking on. So grateful you're helping others to also. *hug*

Back in the days of teaching, I wrote a personal mission statement (more of a mantra, really) alongside my struggling students. The idea was to have something that would remind us why we do things even when the rewards are miles off. Mine is:

Be peaceful.Be patient.Be persistent.

I seriously wrote that on a card in my library study carrel almost every day when I was studying for PhD exams, and it is my reminder when I am trying to duck my promises to myself for my writing time.

Hello, Hello!

I write YA Thrillers, I tweet, I watch football--not necessarily in that order. I'm the author of The Night Walkers Series: INSOMNIA, PARANOIA, MANIA. I also have standalone thrillers CUT ME FREE and THE ROW (10/11/2016) with FSG/Macmillan. My books have sold in more than a dozen languages and over twenty countries worldwide. No, I don't speak that many languages. Yes, I wish I did.
I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.